Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Professional Practice MSc

What is special about this course?

Developed in partnership with expert clinical partners, and taught by subject experts, this course will equip nurses and allied health professionals to work autonomously to lead and deliver advanced healthcare for patients/clients.

The course will support practitioners to develop advanced knowledge and skills that apply to the four pillars of advanced practice: clinical practice; leadership; facilitation of learning; and evidence based research and development.

The course is relevant for existing advanced practitioners or those who are working towards advanced practice across a range of healthcare settings, including remote and rural contexts.

A combination of core and option modules will support consolidation of clinical knowledge and skills reflecting the Advanced Practice Framework.

The programme offers the two routes of: Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) or Advanced Professional Practice.

Special features

Innovative and clinically current curriculum developed and taught by subject experts

Designed in partnership with expert clinical partners

Practice-led and research-based curriculum

Accessible and flexible learning that combines innovative technologies for e-learning

Core and option modules available

Opportunity to study individual modules for personal or professional development, or work towards a PgCert, PgDip, or full masters degree

Entry requirements

You must be a registered nurse or allied health professional, normally working in a full-time or part-time post with a health, social care or third sector setting.

You will have a first degree or relevant professional experience and normally three years' experience as a registered health professional.

Application for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may be undertaken and will be assessed on an individual basis*.

You must submit evidence of your current professional registration, for example Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration.

Within your application personal statement, you must provide information about your place of work and employing health board. This information should include contact details for your line manager.

*The Department of Nursing in the University of the Highlands and Islands has a tailored arrangement for Recognition of Prior Learning for our Advanced Practice programmes. For the MSc and PgDip, it is possible to apply for 80 credits of exemption for qualifying modules, instead of the normal 60. Not only that, clinical skills and prescribing modules undertaken at lower than postgraduate level, for example at SCQF level 9, can be upgraded to postgraduate level by submission of additional academic work, to be assessed by the department academic team. These arrangements can allow for considerable financial and time savings. Finally, once confirmed at the start of the programme that RPL is possible, completing the process can be postponed to a convenient point in the programme, rather than having to be done before commencement.

PgCert/PgDip

For those undertaking the Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) route: you will be required to study the three core modules. For those undertaking the Advanced Professional Practice (APP) route: you may choose any combination of the modules on offer.

Risk, vulnerability and incapacity: legal and ethical frameworks for professional practice

Expertise in dementia practice

Modules available in the Spring term:

Professional leadership and resilience

Clinical assessment for advanced practice: core for ANP route

Non-medical prescribing* (NMP) (40 credits): corefor ANP route

Improvement science: enhancing quality in health and social care (available from 2019)

Complexities of care in multi-morbidity (available from 2019)

Understanding research in evidence based practice (available from 2019)

* this module is subject to validation

MSc

To achieve the award of MSc (180 credits in total), you must complete one of the following modules:

Quality improvement (QI) dissertation

Applying research skills for clinical impact

How will I study my course?

Part-time (Structured)

You will study mainly through supported online learning via the university's virtual learning environment (VLE) with some face-to-face delivery for certain modules. You will be invited to attend a campus-based induction at the start of the programme, alternative induction arrangements will be available for those who cannot attend the campus event.

Funding

What can I do on completion of my course?

The programme aims to enable nurses and allied health professionals to work autonomously in clinical practice using advanced clinical skills to lead care delivery within a variety of health and social care settings.

Can I progress into further study?

The University of the Highlands and Islands provides a range of options for further study including doctoral programmes.

Is there more information available online?

You can use the above QR code to connect directly to the course details.

We are delighted that you are thinking about studying at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). UHI operates a fair and open admissions system committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. We consider all applications on merit and on the basis of ability to achieve, without discrimination on grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background. We welcome applications from all prospective students and aim to provide appropriate and efficient services to students with disabilities.

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